THUNDER BAY – Thunder Bay Hydro is recommending its customers install block-heater timers to save cash on their monthly bills and wear and tear on their vehicles’ engines.
The devices, which the utility will install free of charge in about 10 minutes, can be set to turn block heaters on for the recommended four-hour limit each night, once temperatures start to drop below -15 C.
Lesley MacNiven, supervisor of energy services at Thunder Bay Hydro, said it’s a great way to put about $25 back in consumers’ pockets each winter.
“It’s cold and our cars don’t start, so we have to leave them plugged in so we can keep the engine warm. But you don’t need to leave the engine plugged in all night. When you leave it plugged in 12 hours, you’re consuming that much more energy than if you had left it in for four hours,” MacNiven said on Friday, launching the program outside a Hodder Avenue residence.
“What the time does for you is it switches the timer on in the middle of the night when you’re sleeping so it’s not plugged in all night and you’re consuming more energy than you need to.”
Leaving a vehicle plugged in all night long isn’t the wisest move when it comes to a vehicle’s health, said Done Rite Tire and Auto service manager Jason Ramage.
Given Thunder Bay’s winter climate, it’s important to warm up the engine block before driving, but a few hours is sufficient to warm up low-viscosity oil that doesn’t flow as well as it does in warmer weather, adding strain to engine performance.
“It’s not really necessary to have your car plugged in all night, especially people who install the new oil-pan heaters,” Ramage said. “You’re actually at risk of having a fire if you leave an oil-pan heater plugged in all night because they get significantly more hot than the traditional frost-plug heater.
“It really is true. The four-hour time period is all that is necessary for a block heater. If you’re needing to plug it in longer then there is some sort of underlying issue with the car.”
The new Save on Energy Block Heater Timer program is a pilot project originating in Thunder Bay, and will also be offered by local electricity utilities in Atikokan, Fort Frances, Kenora and Sioux Lookout.
Cheryl Freeborn offered up her driveway on Friday and had the first block heater timer installed in her vehicle.
“This is a great initiatives for families,” she said. “I think it’s important we think about saving energy all year long and a block heater timer will ensure we aren’t wasting energy and will help in maintaining our vehicle and getting us to where we need to go.”
To take part in the free program, call 1-888-855-3106 or email [email protected].
Representatives of Thunder Bay Hydro will also be on site taking registrations on Saturday afternoon at Intercity Shopping Centre.
